
Teliospore (sometimes called teleutospore) is the thick-walled
resting spore of some
fungi
A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...
(
rusts and
smuts), from which the
basidium
A basidium (: basidia) is a microscopic spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of reproductive bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main characteristic features of the group. These bodies are also ...
arises.
Development
They develop in ''
telia'' (sing. ''telium'' or ''teliosorus'').
The telial host is the primary host in heteroecious rusts. The aecial host is the alternate host (look for
pycnia and
aecia).
These terms apply when two hosts are required by a heteroecious rust fungus to complete its life cycle.
Morphology
Teliospores consist of one, two or more
dikaryote cells.
Teliospores are often dark-coloured and thick-walled, especially in species where they overwinter (acting as
chlamydospores).
Two-celled teliospores formerly defined the genus ''
Puccinia''. Here the wall is particularly thick at the tip of the terminal cell which extends into a beak in some species.
Teliospores consist of
dikaryote cells. As the teliospore cells germinate, the
nuclei undergo
karyogamy
Karyogamy is the final step in the process of fusing together two haploid eukaryotic cells, and refers specifically to the fusion of the two cell nucleus, nuclei. Before karyogamy, each haploid cell has one complete copy of the organism's genome. ...
and thereafter
meiosis
Meiosis () is a special type of cell division of germ cells in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, the sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately result in four cells, each with only one c ...
, giving rise to a four-celled
basidium
A basidium (: basidia) is a microscopic spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of reproductive bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main characteristic features of the group. These bodies are also ...
with
haploid
Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell (biology), cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for Autosome, autosomal and Pseudoautosomal region, pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the num ...
basidiospore
A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by basidiomycete fungi, a grouping that includes mushrooms, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid
Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromos ...
s.
See also
*
Aeciospore
*
Chlamydospore
*
Pycniospore
*
*
Urediniomycetes
*
Urediniospore
*
Ustilaginomycetes
References
*C.J. Alexopolous, Charles W. Mims, M. Blackwell, ''Introductory Mycology, 4th ed.'' (John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken NJ, 2004)
Germ cells
Fungal morphology and anatomy
Mycology
{{Basidiomycota-stub